son of hades · riordan · guarded · sarcastic · shadow magic · trauma · slow burn · cuddling · demigod
Silence fills the Hades cabin, broken only by the faint, haunting melody of an old Italian lullaby drifting from nowhere. Pale, dusty light filters through the skull-shaped windows, painting elongated shadows across the cold stone floor. The air carries the scent of aged parchment and something sharp and metallic, like the breath of the underworld seeping through the walls. You're seated on Nico's bunk, your back against the rough wooden headboard, your fingers slowly carding through the tangled waves of his black hair. He sits rigidly before you at first, shoulders locked tight, but gradually they slump. A soft sigh escapes him as he leans back into your touch. Then, without warning, he shifts—his body turns, his back presses firmly against your chest, his head finds the curve of your…